• Philosophy of Medicine
• /
• v.25
• /
• pp.3-26
• /
• 2018

Medicine and philosophy were very closely related in antiquity. The Pre-Socratics were interested in physiological and pathological aspects of human body. Their interests of human body was a part of interests on nature. Plato and Aristotle were fond of proposing their philosophical arguments using medical analogy. Medicine and philosophy were regarded as two disciplines which play a similar role in human being. Ancient philosophers thought that medicine and philosophy were similar on the ground that while philosophy eliminates passion from human soul, medicine eliminates disease from human body. Here, they regarded the similarity of medicine and philosophy only in terms of analogy. More comprehensive and systematic relationship between medicine and philosophy is realized by Galen. He manifestly declared that "The Best Doctor is also a Philosopher", which is also the title of one of his treatise. In this treatise, Galen regarded philosophy is a discipline consisted of physics, logic, and ethics according to the view s of Stoics. As a result, a good doctor for Galen is one who is well versed in physics, logic, and ethics. Furthermore, He regarded Hippocrates as the ideal model of a doctor-philosopher.

• Korean Medical Education Review
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2006

의사는 인간의 생명을 구하는 권한이 있으니까 마치 생명을 죽이는 권한도 포함된 것 같은 생각에 그야말로 막강한 권한을 가진 것 같이 보인다. 오늘의 한국에서는 과거와 달리 의사의 사회적 위상에 많이 떨어져 있지만 아직도 미국이나 독일 같은 선진 사회에서 의사의 위상은 준신에 가깝게 높고 그의 말과 판단이라면 비록 건강에 관한 이슈뿐만 아니라 삶에 대한 지혜로도 존중되고 수용된다. 의사의 사회적 위상이 높아진 것은 의학이라는 특수한 학문과 이와 연결된 의술의 그동안의 엄청난 발달과 무관하지 않다. 역사적으로 보면 고대 희랍시대부터 의학은 인간의 질병을 고치고 생명을 건강하게 보존하는 특별한 지식 그리고 이 지식을 기반으로 응용되는 치료기법으로 기예 (techne)라는 존칭으로 불리었다. 즉, 건강의 회복이라는 실질적인 목적을 가진 지식과 테크닉을 합친 이른바 귀중한 실천 (praxis)이다. 의학에 대한 낙관적인 전망은 시대와 문화가 바뀌면서 또한 의학 자체가 좀 더 발달하면서 도전을 받는다. 20세기에 들어서서 인간의 생명을 위협하고 또 고통을 주는 질병의 종류와 양상이 변하고, 의 과학이 앞으로 인류의 병들을 퇴치시킬 수 있다는 기대에 차질이 생기게 되었다. 미국 같은 선진국에서는 일찍이 1960년도 말부터 의학교과목 개혁의 일환으로 인문학의 과목들을 같이 가르치기 시작했다. 대표적인 과목들이 윤리학, 철학, 역사, 문학 등이다. 인문학의 보강은 의학과 기술과 인간성의 연결을 위해 의사들이 쓸 수 있는 인지적 도구 (cognitive tools)를 갖추게 하는 목적에서이다. 인문학의 도입으로 의사들이 인간의 삶을 좀 더 깊게 이해하고 풍부한 인간성으로 지식과 기술을 환자에게 적용할 수 있기 위해 각자의 마음과 머리 속에 포용통합능력을 발달시키자는 데 있다. 즉 의사들의 의식과 자유로운 상상력이 확장되면서 새로운 정체성을 갖게 되는 것을 바라는 것이다. 선진국의 의학교육에서 이 같은 교육이 좋은 의사를 만든다는 신념을 굳혀가고 있다. 성과를 증명하는 연구결과가 없어 아직도 회의적인 반응도 있으나 이와 같은 교육이 윤리적 상황에 대한 예민도를 높이는 것은 확실하다. 연세대학교 의과대학은 기독교 이념이 기본 교육철학이다. 인간성을 강조하고 의사들이 자신의 인간성을 개발 강화하는 교육이 하나님의 사랑을 의사 지신의 인간성과 그의 인간애로 내재화 시킬 수 있다면 그리스도의 정신을 의학과 의술에 연결시키는 고귀한 목적을 이룰 수 있는 길이라고 생각한다.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
• /
• no.121
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2018

The aim of this paper is to expound upon the concept of mental health and disease in Plato. In ancient Greece, philosophy was to care for the health of the soul and to pursue the happiness of the life, while medicine was to care for the health of the body. It is the role of philosophy that defines what the mental disease is, rather than the realm of medicine, and the practical function of philosophy is the life of caring for our souls. In order to take care of the soul, it is important to diagnose what the mental disease is and where it comes from. In ancient Greek, medicine disease was initially regarded as a divine punishment and healing as, quite literally, a gift from the gods. Plato, however, insists that mental illness is not just brain problem but a human whole problem, (2) it is caused by imbalance and discord, and (3) ignorance is also a mental disease, (4) and furthermore, injustice and vice are mental diseases as well. Therefore Plato argues that the aim of philosophy is to practice a virtue as the mental health and further to achieve political justice to maintain the health of the soul.

• Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.316-329
• /
• 2018

Although the use of social media by doctors raises important issues concerning medical professionalism, the relevant professional bodies in South Korea have failed to issue clear guidelines on social media usage. The Korean Medical Association's newly revised ethics guidelines do require members to maintain dignity while using social media, but the idea of "maintaining dignity" is far from clear, and its premodern connotation prevents it from being reliably used in professional codes of conduct. The authors of this article examine the concept of maintaining dignity and conclude that once it is clarified and redefined it can and should be used as a viable ethical standard in a variety of contexts, including the use of social media. Social media's unpredictability and uncontrollability, and the blurred distinction between professional/public and personal/private can be a threat to medical professionalism. In order to deal with this threat, the concept of dignity is important. We present three examples in which the dignity of medical professionals is undermined and explain why these jeopardize public trust. We conclude that in order to maintain public trust the Korean Medical Association should provide more detailed guidelines on the use of social media by its members.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.47-79
• /
• 2019

The Korean Society of Law and Medicine has faithfully played the role of professional academic organizations last 20 years in terms of academic activities, accumulated achievements, diversity, professionalism, and influence on academic circles. The Korean Society of Law and Medicine and the Journal of Medical Law serve as a platform for academic information and exchange of opinions on medical law. Medical law began in the midst of increasing conflicts and disputes caused by medical malpractice and the enactment and legal coercion of medical care as pressure on medical workers. It tried to find a way to coexist with each other through the encounter and convergence of medicine and law. Medical criminal law extends from traditional crimes in the realm of life and body protection to bioethics violations caused by the development of biomedical technology, corruption and economic crime in the medical field. Medical law has evolved into a comprehensive legal area dealing with legal issues raised in medical treatment, healthcare, bioethics, and life sciences technology. On the legal side, medical law is not independent legal areas. It is overlapping with traditional law areas such as civil law, administrative law, criminal law, social law, civil and criminal procedure law. However, it is now established as a convergence study in medicine, bioethics, life science, as well as in various fields of law. It has become an area where collaboration is needed with the field of law, medicine, ethics, sociology and economics. Medical criminal law has undergone a dynamic development over the last two decades. The development of medicine and medical technology provides new and innovative methods of diagnosis and treatment. The achievements and risks of revolutionary developments in biotechnology, genetic engineering and medicine coexist. While there is a dazzling achievement that mankind has hoped for: combating disease and improving health, it also creates unwanted side effects and risks to humans. There is a need to reconsider ethical and legal principles. The discovery and development of patient identity and autonomy has changed the medical doctor-patient relationship. Furthermore, it was complicated by the triangle relationship of patients, medical doctors and insurance. Legal matters are also complicated. This is why the necessity of legislation is emerging. Criminal punishment provisions are also required. The Medical Law and Biomedical Law are systematically and coherently deformed as mosaic-based legislation that takes place whenever there are social issues, citizens' needs, and medical organizations' interests, rather than sufficient enactment and revision procedures. It needs a complete overhaul, and this is possible through interdisciplinary collaboration which is the strength of The Korean Society of Law and Medicine.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.145-178
• /
• 2020

This paper examines discussions surrounding cognitive liberty, neuro-privacy, and mental integrity from the perspective of Neuro-rights. The right to control one's neurological data entails self-determination of collection and usage of one's data, and the right to object to any way such data may be employed to negatively impact oneself. As innovations in neurotechnologies bear benefits and downsides, a novel concept of the neuro-rights has been suggested to protect individual liberty and rights. In Oct. 2020, the Chilean Senate presented the 'Proyecto de ley sobre neuroderechos' to promote the recognition and protection of neuro-rights. This new bill defines all data obtained from the brain as neuronal data and outlaws the commerce of this data. Neurotechnology, especially when paired with big data and artificial intelligence, has the potential to turn one's neurological state into data. The possibility of inferring one's intent, preferences, personality, memory, emotions, and so on, poses harm to individual liberty and rights. However, the collection and use of neural data may outpace legislative innovation in the near future. Legal protection of neural data and the rights of its subject must be established in a comprehensive way, to adapt to the evolving data economy and technical environment.